Apple's all-new MacBook Pro packs new NVIDIA GPUs, glass trackpad

Posts with tag redesign


Don't place your bets just yet, but rumors are beginning to swirl in the DS Lite arena about a possible redesign. Considering all the PSP2 whispering that has been going on of late, it wouldn't be too surprising for Nintendo to plunk down a bombshell of its own in the face of competition, but moreover, we know Nintendo has a history of keeping its handheld hardware fresh. Be it colors or miniaturization, we've seen the firm's handhelds shrink and don new hues for ages, and the most recent blurb suggests that a new iteration of the DS could "feature a larger screen and more readable fonts for users who may have a difficult time playing on the smaller machine." Hey, it's not like grandpa isn't already getting his game on with another Big N product, right?
It's pretty clear that "sooner or later" best describes the most solid info anyone has on Apple's next iMac refresh, but AppleInsider is now reporting that we'll be seeing the desktops in shiny new skins come late July-ish to mid-August-ish, which we suppose refines the launch window slightly. That lands the computer right in time for the back-to-school season, which sounds perfectly reasonable. AI is also sticking with its predictions of 20- and 24-inch models only, with the 17-inch getting left out of the makeover to wither on the vine. Nothing outlandish, but we're sure Apple could milk the current form factor for one more (if ill-fated) go 'round if they want to, so we won't believe a word of it until we see these pop up on the Apple Store.
Almost since its inception the PSP has been subject of relentless redesign rumors -- and why not? By most portable gaming device standards it's positively ginormous. Blame it on the UMD, that beautifully massive 4.3-inch screen, or its lack of internal memory, but a thinner, trimmed down PSP is just what the doctor ordered. And while Sony has repeatedly (and expectedly) denied the prospect of an overhaul, SCE UK managing director Ray Maguire recently stated that a "smaller, lighter" PSP was in the wings; of course, that was immediately rebuked by an SCE UK statement that "There are no immediate changes planned for PSP." Look, the PSP isn't going to be like this forever -- either they introduce a new model, or they redesign the current one, but pretending like neither is happening is just silly. We're on to your little game, Sony!
According to PlayStation Magazine -- and we suppose they would know -- Sony has a PSP redesign in the works. It's not a PSP 2, the rumored device resides squarely in the realm of redesign, but the supposed 8GB flash drive from Samsung, built-in EyeToy and a thinner, lighter form factor would all be welcome improvements to the current PSP. Actually, all the specs match up nicely with the PSP 2 rumors we were hearing earlier this year, but supposedly Sony wants to go with the Apple model of iPod upgrades, and stick with the single PSP name. In recent interviews, Sony's SCEA president Kaz Hirai didn't directly discount the idea of a PSP redesign, but he didn't really give it a lot of weight either. We're willing to give this rumor a fair shake, but we'll have to wait for more info and a real pic to see if this thing can have DS lite-ish success at its purported March 2007 launch -- Sony sure could use a hit.
Like many baby boomers, even Xbox chief Peter Moore is getting a little confused by all the buttons and joysticks being crammed onto modern gamepads, and some recent comments he made may indicate that Microsoft is actually working on ways to dumb-down the increasingly complex controller. In an interview with Gamertag radio, Moore seemingly put the "shoulder buttons, triggers, analog sticks, and d-pads" on today's controllers in a negative light compared to the "old Atari 2600 button-and-stick, which everybody could pick up and have some fun with." Even Moore's 14-year-old daughter reportedly finds the 360 controller somewhat confusing, with the man himself mentioning that Microsoft is "doing a lot of stuff there," but that they won't release a product that's not "intuitive and innovative." We're all for input devices being as intuitive as possible, but instead of wasting time trying to innovative, maybe Microsoft should just cave in and adopt a certain technology that's already proving to be pretty popular.









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